Association between glaucoma and stroke: A bidirectional mendelian randomization study.

Purpose: Observational studies have reported positive associations between glaucoma and stroke; however, controversial results exist. Importantly, the nature of the relationship remains unknown since previous studies were not designed to test causality. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the possible causal relationships between glaucoma and stroke.

miRNAs Influence m6A RNA Methylation through FTO and IGF2BP2 in Pressure Overload-Induced Heart Failure.

Background: N6-adenosine methylation (m6A) is a prevalent RNA modification associated with heart failure, alongside aberrant miRNA expression. Despite indications of miRNAs regulating m6A modification, their specific influence on m6A in heart failure remains unclear.

Methods: The initial analysis utilized transcriptome and methylation sequencing data from GSE131296 in mice to identify key m6A methylation enzymes in heart failure and construct an associated network.

The efficacy of bandage contact lens in relieving the aggravation of dry eye disease after complicated cataract or/and IOL surgery.

Purpose: In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy of the bandage contact lens (BCLs) in the treatment of dry eye disease (DED) after complicated cataract or/and intraocular lens (IOL) surgery.

Methods: In this retrospective, single-centered, observational study, we collected data from 69 patients who underwent complicated cataract or/and IOL surgery. Of these, 35 cases wore their own BCLs immediately after the operation, while the other 34 cases did not have their own BCLs and were instead covered with gauze.

Axitinib targets cardiac fibrosis in pressure overload-induced heart failure through VEGFA-KDR pathway.

Background: There are no specific clinical medications that target cardiac fibrosis in heart failure (HF). Recent studies have shown that tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) may benefit fibrosis in various organs. However, there is limited research on their application in cardiac fibrosis.

Magnetically actuated microfluidic chip combined with a G-quadruplex DNAzyme-based fluorescent/colorimetric sensor for the dual-mode detection of ochratoxin A in wheat.

In this work, a portable fluorescent/colorimetric sensor based on G-quadruplex DNAzyme was constructed to achieve rapid and dual-mode detection of ochratoxin A (OTA) in wheat. OTA aptamers coupled with magnetic beads (MBs) can self-assemble with two segments of DNA and hemin to form a G-quadruplex DNAzyme structure that can catalyze the oxidation of Amplex Red (ADHP) with HO, making the solution red and producing strong fluorescence in solution. However, in the presence of OTA, the structure of the G-quadruplex DNAzyme was damaged, resulting in reduced catalytic activity.

Hypersensitive C-reactive protein as a potential indicator for predicting left ventricular hypertrophy in elderly community-dwelling patients with hypertension.

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between Hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in elderly community-dwelling patients with hypertension.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted, involving the recruitment of 365 elderly hypertensive residents ≥ 65 years of age from five communities. The participants were divided into two groups: an LVH group (n = 134) and a non-LVH group (n = 231), based on the left ventricular mass index (LVMI) determined by echocardiography.

Magnetic-encoded fluorescent nanospheres-based competitive immunoassay for near-simultaneous detection of four mycotoxins in wheat.

Simultaneous detection of mycotoxins is important for food safety. In this study, a magnetic-encoded fluorescent nanosphere-based competitive immunosensor (cFMEIS) with 2×2 array was first developed for simultaneous detection of aflatoxin B (AFB), ochratoxin (OTA), deoxynivalenol (DON), and zearalenone (ZEN) in wheat. Specifically, magnetic nanoparticles with strong and weak responses were conjugated with mycotoxin antigens as capture probes.

Genetically Determined Rheumatoid Arthritis May Not Affect Heart Failure: Insights from Mendelian Randomization Study.

Background: Evidence from observational epidemiological studies indicated that rheumatoid arthritis (RA) increased the risk of heart failure (HF). However, there is a possibility that the correlation is not explained as a causative role for RA in the pathogenesis of HF. A two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) framework was designed to explore the potential etiological role of RA in HF to identify the target to improve the burden of HF disease.

Prediction of postoperative visual acuity in patients with age-related cataracts using macular optical coherence tomography-based deep learning method.

Background: To predict postoperative visual acuity (VA) in patients with age-related cataracts using macular optical coherence tomography-based deep learning method.

Methods: A total of 2,051 eyes from 2,051 patients with age-related cataracts were included. Preoperative optical coherence tomography (OCT) images and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) were collected.

Reappraising the role of chronic inflammatory burden in heart failure.

Background: Heart failure (HF) is a clinical syndrome associated with poor quality of life, substantial utilization of health care resources, and premature mortality. It is now considered to be the most urgent unmet medical need in the field of cardiovascular disease. Accumulated evidence suggested that comorbidity-driven inflammation has emerged as a critical component of HF pathogenesis.

Durability of Viscoelastic Fibre Prestressing in a Polymeric Composite.

Viscoelastic fibre prestressing (VFP) is a promising technique to counterbalance the potential thermal residual stress within a polymeric composite, offering superior mechanical benefits for structural engineering applications. It has been demonstrated that the time required for a desirable creep strain can be significantly reduced by implementing higher creep stress, while its long-term stability is still unknown. Here, we developed the prestress equivalence principle and investigated the durability of viscoelastic fibre prestressing within a composite in order to further enrich the prestress mechanisms.

Appraising the Effects of Metabolic Traits on the Risk of Glaucoma: A Mendelian Randomization Study.

Metabolic traits are associated with the risk of developing glaucoma in observational studies. To assess whether theses associations reflect causality, we conducted a Mendelian randomization (MR) study. Our study included up to 20,906 glaucoma cases and 438,188 controls.

Efficacy of scleral-fixated 3-looped haptics intraocular lens implantation for surgical management of microspherophakia.

Aim: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of scleral-fixated 3-looped haptics intraocular lens (IOL) implantation for surgical management of microspherophakia.

Methods: A retrospective case series include 10 microspherophakic patients (15 eyes) who underwent lens removal plus a modified surgical treatment of scleral-fixated 3-looped haptics IOL implantation. The primary outcomes involved visual acuity, intraocular pressure (IOP).

Photoelectrochemical Sensors with Near-Infrared-Responsive Reduced Graphene Oxide and MoS for Quantification of O157:H7.

The photoelectric response is crucial for photocatalysis, having applications in solar cells and photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensors. In this study, we demonstrate improvements in the near-infrared (NIR)-light-driven PEC response via synergism between reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and MoS. Intriguingly, rGO modulates the morphology of MoS, facilitating carrier generation and migration, improving the PEC performance of the resultant rGO-MoS sheets (GMS), and yielding an approximately 8-fold increase in the photocurrent compared to that of the pure MoS.

Effect of two different preoperative calculation schemes on visual outcomes of patients after toric intraocular lens implantation.

Purpose: To compare the postoperative visual outcomes of two different preoperative corneal incision schemes in TECNIS toric intraocular lens (IOL) implantation.

Methods: In this randomized controlled study, patients with preoperative corneal astigmatism greater than 1.0 diopter (D) were included.

Polyvinyl alcohol/starch-based film incorporated with grape skin anthocyanins and metal-organic framework crystals for colorimetric monitoring of pork freshness.

An intelligent film for the visual monitoring of pork freshness was developed using degradable polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/starch (PS) to immobilize the chromogenic agent of anthocyanins and the volatile amine collector of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). The indicative property of grape skin anthocyanins (GSAs) was verified using the UV-vis spectra, corresponding to multi-color changing in a pH range of 2-12. Interestingly, the introduction of MIL-101 crystals in the PS/GSAs film significantly increased the specific surface area (approximately 10 times) of the film, the superior volatile amine enrichment capability of MIL-101 enabling the film to detect freshness with a high degree of sensitivity.

Tacrolimus Loaded Cationic Liposomes for Dry Eye Treatment.

Eye drops are ophthalmic formulations routinely used to treat dry eye. However, the low ocular bioavailability is an obvious drawback of eye drops owing to short ocular retention time and weak permeability of the cornea. Herein, to improve the ocular bioavailability of eye drops, a cationic liposome eye drop was constructed and used to treat dry eye.

Inhibition of Neovascularization and Inflammation in a Mouse Model of Corneal Alkali Burns Using Cationic Liposomal Tacrolimus.

Eye drops account for more than 90% of commercialized ophthalmic drugs. However, eye drops have certain shortcomings, such as short precorneal retention time and weak corneal penetration. The requirement of frequent instillation of eye drops also causes poor patient compliance, which may lead to further aggravation of the disease.

Intellective and stimuli-responsive drug delivery systems in eyes.

Stimuli-responsive drug delivery systems have attracted widespread attention in recent years since they can control drug release in a spatiotemporal manner and can achieve tunable drug release according to patient's physiological or pathological condition. In this review, we briefly introduce the drug delivery barriers and drug delivery systems in the anterior and posterior segment of eyes, and collect the recent advances in stimuli-responsive drug delivery systems in eyes for controlled drug release in response to exogenous stimuli (ultrasound, magnetic stimulus, electrical stimulus, and light) or endogenous stimuli (enzyme, active oxygen species, temperature, ions, and pH). In addition, the design and mechanisms of the stimuli-responsive drug delivery systems have been summarized in this review, and the advantages and limitations are also briefly discussed.

Efficacy of bandage contact lens for the management of dry eye disease after cataract surgery.

Purpose: We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of bandage contact lens (BCL) for the management of dry eye disease (DED) after cataract surgery.

Methods: A total of 120 patients (140 eyes) with age-related cataract and DED were enrolled in this study. Patients underwent standard micro-incision phacoemulsification surgeries and were divided into control or BCL groups.

Outcome, influence factor and development of CLS measurement in continuous IOP monitoring: A narrative review.

A large fluctuation in intraocular pressure (IOP) and a high peak IOP remain the risk factors for progressive visual field loss in patients with glaucoma, which is a leading cause of irreversible blindness. However, IOP measurements during working time cannot provide sufficient information on IOP to guide clinicians in setting IOP target values. Contact lenses are extensively used in ophthalmology to correct the refractive error, and recently, they are serving as platforms for detection and drug delivery.

Alterations in the transmural gradient of ventricular repolarization with different pacing sites in normal and heart failure canines.

Alterations of the transmural gradient of repolarization may contribute to the increase of transmural dispersion of repolarization and ventricular arrhythmias. The transmural gradient of repolarization may play an important role in sudden death associated with left ventricular epicardial pacing. To investigate the changes of transmural gradient dispersion of ventricular repolarization with different pacing sites in heart failure (HF) canines, 8 mongrel dogs were randomized into healthy group and HF group (n = 4).

Analysis of tear inflammatory molecules and clinical correlations in evaporative dry eye disease caused by meibomian gland dysfunction.

Purpose: To compare the levels of inflammatory molecules in tear samples between patients with meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD)-related evaporative dry eye (EDE) and healthy subjects and to analyze the correlations between the levels of tear inflammatory molecules and ocular surface parameters.

Methods: A total of 30 MGD-related EDE patients (48 eyes) and ten healthy volunteers (15 eyes) were enrolled. Dry eye-related examinations and questionnaires were obtained from all participants.